Thermoplastic Bearing Solutions For Healthcare & Medical
Turcite®, Orkot® and HiMod® Bushings
Key Benefits:
- Used as a rod guide, mainly in reciprocating applications
- Prevents metal-to-metal contact
- Low friction
- No stick-slip
- Do not require external lubrication, reducing contamination
Typical Healthcare & Medical Applications:
Bushings are generally used in low speed, high side-load cylinder applications due to their low friction capabilities. Typical applications are hospital beds, patient lifts and prosthetic joints.
Materials Specific to Healthcare & Medical
The Bushings are typically made of PTFE based Turcite®, Orkot® composite material or HiMod® high modulus plastic including PEEK.
About Bushings
Bushings are used in a variety of medical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology devices and equipment, generally in reciprocating cylinder applications. Bushings can be designed and used as sleeve bushings, flange bushings or as a thrust bearing. The function of the bushing is to allow the rod to move freely with low friction, while preventing metal-to-metal contact. They have a lower load capability than a metal bearing but do not require any external lubrication, keeping contamination to a minimum.
Durobal® Medical Bearing for Rotating Applications
Key Benefits:
- Ideal as a guide mainly in rotating applications
- Prevent metal-to-metal contact
- Low friction
- Self-lubricating for cleaner operating environments
Typical Healthcare & Medical Applications:
Durobal® bearings are generally used in low load, high speed applications such as blood separators, diagnostic equipment, laboratory sample processing equipment, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and bioreactor applications in biotech processing equipment.
Materials Specific to Healthcare & Medical
The inner and outer rings are generally made of an acetal-based material with no fillers, as fillers can cause premature failure. The cage can be made with a filler material to enhance rolling element movement and reduce friction. Turcite® A is a typical cage material. The ball bearings can be made of stainless steel, glass or ceramics. All plastic constructions are ideal in applications such as MRI scanners.
About Durobal®
Durobal® bearings are used in a variety of medical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology devices and equipment, generally in rotating applications. They usually consist of seven parts: an outer ring, seal, inner ring, ball bearings, cage, seal and shield.
The inner and outer rings provide support against the mating hardware. The cage maintains ball separation. Seals and/or shields may be added to isolate the bearing from the external environment.